B.Y.C. Dorking Club!

[pysankigirl]

I have already. The state lab will do all kinds of testing subsitized if there are unexplained deaths because they are afraid of the really bad stuff (Avian Influenza and pullorium) They called back yesterday and said they found Lymphoid tumors and that it was probably Mareks but I won't know for sure until next week. The guy was really nice. we talked for some time. I asked what I could do about it and he said that Mareks was everywhere in the whole world and that I should have vaccinated. He was nice about it. but they are not worried about it from a state perspective because all the commercial chicken people vaccinate. (and really, that is who is funding their work.)

 

[ki4got]

we have had an amazing amount of rain here this spring/summer. We have finally had 2 days in a row with no rain and now it is HOT HOT HOT. (okay maybe it is really the humidity, but I still feel sorry for the outdoor animals) so the coccida might have been partially because we just couldn't get anything to dry out and partially because I had never had it before and was clueless about the signs. before I saw the bloody poop, I thought they were just tired. (duh)

This new Mareks thing is just deflating to me. I have never vaccinated for it so the guy at the state health place said I could lose up to 30% of my flock. I am in denial. I cant imagine that on top of the fox losses. I do believe in the concept of breeding for resistance. I just need to get past the initial few years I guess, and just take my losses. or vaccinate...but that hides who is resistant and who isn't. I wish I knew what the right answer was.

I have premier fencing but the chickens go through it easily. We got it back before we got the chickens (for the goats) so the openings are too big. I need to figure out how to afford some of the chicken-type.

mareks affects birds under 4 months of age typically...

my feeling on it is, if they don't get it, that means they're resistant and more likely to pass that resistance to their offspring. vaccinating doesn't do anything for future generations but prolong the potential for susceptibility IMO. I lost 3 or 4 of the sandhill birds last year to it, but none of the rest of my flock had any issues. or any of the rest of the sandhill birds. there were like 20 from the shipment all told. this year my sandhill lot was much smaller due to early losses (within the first week). then the coon got a few too. so i'm down to 3.

 

[pysankigirl]

oh, and he did say that there are two different kinds of Mareks. regular Mareks and BAD Mareks. (my words, not his) BAD Mareks ignores the vaccine and is very virrulent.

 

[pysankigirl]

mareks affects birds under 4 months of age typically...

my feeling on it is, if they don't get it, that means they're resistant and more likely to pass that resistance to their offspring. vaccinating doesn't do anything for future generations but prolong the potential for susceptibility IMO. I lost 3 or 4 of the sandhill birds last year to it, but none of the rest of my flock had any issues. or any of the rest of the sandhill birds. there were like 20 from the shipment all told. this year my sandhill lot was much smaller due to early losses (within the first week). then the coon got a few too. so i'm down to 3.

yeah, these birds are almost exactly 4 months old.

I think that you might be right about the breeding for resistance thing. I just need to wrap my head around this whole thing.

 

[kimberly35042]

Good luck to you. That can't be an easy situation and a sneaky fox to boot.

 

[BlackPanther]

if i'd kept them and grown them out, they may not have been culls... I don't count potentially mixed breed day old chicks as anything other than 'potentially mixed breed day old chicks'. LOL any estimates of breed are just that... estimates.

I sell a lot of them. come on by the swap Saturday, you'll see even more! LOL (ok not day old, more like 5-10 day old)

for example, I had a mixed hatch of blrw, dark Cornish (which look JUST like blrw) some cochins and some sfh...
sold the few sfh I had to someone. THIS is what his "sfh" is growing up like (and coming back to me in exchange for some more sfh once I start getting more eggs to hatch)


and this is the swede baby that I thought was something else.

I love your Swede hen!
Is that a bantam-sized breed?

 

[BlackPanther]

Hmmmm...that's because you're reading too much into it, and not reading in progression with what I said. I was discussing hatcheries and my references were to hatcheries, which if you reread the paragraph which gave you offense, you'll notice that the very first sentence in the paragraph made it clear. The hatchery in question is a "hatchery" not a breeder. I made specific mention of Dick's birds because they have at least the possibility of being a different line as opposed to other hatcheries/pseudo-hatcheries (such as this one).

When I said this: "If there are any even moderately SQ Dorkings in America, they are in the Reds, Whites, and SGs. " Yours were some of what I had in mind. I didn't mention you, but then again I didn't mention, us, Rudy or Dick in that statement--thus neither did I exclude you. As to your comment: "when you frequently imply that - aside from Dick Horstman and you and maybe Rudy - there are no other breeders with Dorkings that are any better than hatchery stock." This is an assumption on your part, and it is incorrect. I enjoyed the photos of your birds. You'll also notice that I did not elevate mine above the Reds or the SG's--including yours. When I mention those birds, it is as sources for stock. I don't tell people to go to you because I've not ever been under the impression that you are actively working to make stock available: shipping chicks, etc... Are you? Did I miss that? Or are you just being sensitive?

And to the point that you are admiring stock, that's great. Your eye is not mine. I have a very critical eye, and I'm harshest at home. When I look at current stock, whether it be Rudy's, Dick's, yours, mine, what I've seen of Mary's, I see stock in need of improvement. I don't see show quality, and I don't "admire" any of it. I see potential, and I see building blocks. When there's actually a Dorking that can take Champion English in good competition, I'll admire it.

Now that we're all offended, the only reason I chimed in here at all, which I try to avoid because of this very sort of silliness, was for the sake of beginning lurkers who might be coming here for advice, it would be a shame were they to get a false start by ordering from this "hatchery" believing in any way that they are ordering SQ stock imported from Britain. So, with that, back to lurking.

Yellowhouse, I think you just know your own mind and aren't afraid to say it! You may word your replies a bit strongly, but that is because you know what you are talking about! I'm glad you spoke up in the first place; I learned something.

 

[ki4got]

Quote: ROFL that's a 10 week old baby boy... no they're LF. on the smallish side tho, roos 6-7 pounds maybe?

more of an egg layer type body than dual purpose or meaty... tall and not so wide.

here's one of my young roo... (crested) they've only been in the country for a bit over 2 years, so there are some obvious flaws that need work, but their personality is a lot like the dorking, if not friendlier. these guys are under foot as much or more than my dorkings are. LOL and yes, he has side sprigs. it seems sprigs are more common right now than a lack of. so it's something we'll be working towards eliminating over time. as well as split wing, which is also a problem. 'curly combs' (where they S at the front) are common on crested roos, and are not considered a fault.


if you're interested in them, check out the link in my sig. there's also a sfh thread on byc too (linked from the sfhusa website)

 

[ronott1]

ROFL that's a 10 week old baby boy... no they're LF. on the smallish side tho, roos 6-7 pounds maybe?

more of an egg layer type body than dual purpose or meaty... tall and not so wide.

here's one of my young roo... (crested) they've only been in the country for a bit over 2 years, so there are some obvious flaws that need work, but their personality is a lot like the dorking, if not friendlier. these guys are under foot as much or more than my dorkings are. LOL and yes, he has side sprigs. it seems sprigs are more common right now than a lack of. so it's something we'll be working towards eliminating over time. as well as split wing, which is also a problem. 'curly combs' (where they S at the front) are common on crested roos, and are not considered a fault.


if you're interested in them, check out the link in my sig. there's also a sfh thread on byc too (linked from the sfhusa website)

I hatched some of those for Papa Brooder. His were mostly black as chicks. They hatched fairly well and were healthy.

 

[ki4got]

Quote: yeah he's got some nice ones. I bid on some of his eggs but reached my max because I was between paydays. LOL so they went to someone else...

to bring it back to sg dorkings, my newest group is laying exceptionally well. 8) up to 6 eggs today out of 7 girls. so one of the broodies is no longer thinking broody thoughts.

trying to get going on the breeding pens, but between rain, mud and heat, i'm still being fought tooth and nail. LOL but I have the front and back done except doors and wire. now to add wire sides and i'll have 2 pens (minus houses)... I might just put doghouses in there short term. LOL everyone's been in one of the dog houses at one point or another so far. either as a baby or broody. LOL